The NCAA does not usually hand out too much good news, but it did for LB Luke Arciniega who recently found out he will be granted 2 additional years of college eligibility.
On his Instagram, Arciniega said “College career hasn’t gone as planned with all the injuries but patience and faith has kept me on track. After few months of waiting, found out that I was granted 2 years of eligibility when I was only hoping for one. Feeling blessed.”
Arciniega showed plenty of potential in his 2013 campaign, playing in all 12 regular season games and the Texas Bowl. He finished with 18 tackles and was poised to make a splash going into 2014. Unfortunately, the Nevada native underwent hip surgery in the offseason and was troubled by injuries in 2014, causing him to only play in 4 games due to a lower-body injury.
One rumored reason as to why Arciniega was granted 2 and not 1 additional year is because he was not on scholarship during his 2nd season at Nevada, which stemmed from a disagreement between him and his coach.
Although he has played for Syracuse the past 2 years at the linebacker position, Arciniega plans to move to defensive end for the 2016 season.
This is not only a golden chance for Arciniega but also for the Syracuse defense who returns a player who before this news could have played his last college football game. The position change looks to be favorable for Arciniega who certainly has the size at 6’2”, 241 lbs., to cause havoc on the defensive line. Luckily, he has been still practicing with the team even before he knew his fate.
Another word come to mind when looking at the favorable situation. Experience. Arciniega has been around the program for the past 2 years, playing in a good chunk of games when he was able to play, and can teach the younger players while adjusting to the position change. Incoming linebackers such as Shyheim Cullen and Troy Henderson Jr. can learn the position from Arciniega, in addition to other young linebackerson the roster.
Syracuse will look to incorporate Arciniega into a new role on the defense. 2 years should be plenty of time to figure it out.
Posted: Zephan Mayell
